General Assembly
Tenth emergency special session
Agenda item 5
Illegal Israeli actions in Occupied East Jerusalem
and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory

Security Council
Sixty-second year

Identical letters dated 5 July 2007 from the Permanent
Observer of Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the
Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council

I am compelled, for the third time in a week, to once again draw your attention to the continuing military attacks being carried out by Israel, the occupying Power, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in the Gaza Strip, and the consequent rise in the toll of death and destruction being endured by the Palestinian people.

The short- and long-term ramifications of such illegal and violent actions by the occupying Power are many and serious for such actions, among other things, assure the further inflammation of tensions, the perpetuation and escalation of the cycle of violence and the continued deterioration of the humanitarian situation. This in turn undermines any efforts being made towards calming the situation on the ground and towards the resumption of peace negotiations. The international community cannot continue to sit idly by while Israel continues to commit such crimes against the defenceless civilian population under its occupation and continues to sabotage peace efforts, including the serious efforts being exerted by the Palestinian Authority at the current time.

Today, the Israeli occupying forces launched yet another military assault on the Gaza Strip, particularly in the area near Al-Bureij refugee camp, by both ground and air. Using fighter planes, tanks and bulldozers, the occupying forces pushed about one kilometre into that part of the central Gaza Strip, seizing positions on rooftops and firing artillery and missiles at Palestinians in the area. A total of at least 11 Palestinians were killed today by the Israeli occupying forces in these attacks and at least another 26 Palestinians were wounded. Among those critically wounded was a cameraman for a Palestinian television station, Imad Ghanem, who was repeatedly shot at by the Israeli occupying forces while he was trying to film the attacks. The occupying forces also harassed, detained and assaulted several paramedics who were attempting to aid those Palestinians wounded by Israeli fire in the area. In addition, the occupying forces arrested at least 18 more Palestinians during this assault on the Gaza Strip, contributing to the daily rise in the number of Palestinian prisoners being illegally held by Israel.

In another incident indicative of the occupying Power’s complete lack of respect for Palestinian human life, the Israeli occupying forces committed yet another crime against a Palestinian child. On Tuesday, 3 July 2007, in the city of Al-Khalil in the West Bank, Israeli occupying forces fired at and killed Ahmad Al-Skafi, age 15, while he was playing with his friends in the neighbourhood. Following the shooting of the boy, the Israeli soldiers then prevented paramedics from reaching his body and unleashed their guard dogs at him, which tore off his arm and caused him additional trauma and suffering as he lay dying in the street.

We implore the international community, including in particular the United Nations Security Council, to end its silence and to give due attention to this critical situation. Urgent measures must be considered to bring a halt to the military onslaught that continues to be carried out by Israel, the occupying Power, against the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. Such crimes committed by the occupying Power must be unequivocally condemned by all who respect and uphold international law and human rights, and serious efforts must be undertaken in this regard to uphold international law. In particular, it is imperative to reiterate that the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War have a legal obligation to respect and to ensure respect of the Convention in all circumstances. This must necessarily include the prevention of such war crimes against the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation, who must not be excluded from the protection accorded to civilian persons under international law.

This letter is in follow-up to our previous 288 letters to you regarding the ongoing crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, since 28 September 2000. These letters, dated from 29 September 2000 (A/55/432-S/2000/921) to 3 July 2007 (A/ES-10/392-S/2007/405), constitute a basic record of the crimes being committed by Israel, the occupying Power, against the Palestinian people since September 2000. For all of these war crimes, State terrorism and systematic human rights violations committed against the Palestinian people, Israel, the occupying Power, must be held accountable and the perpetrators must be brought to justice.

In follow-up to the above-mentioned letters, it is my profound regret to inform you that, since my last letter to you two days ago, at least 12 more Palestinian civilians have been killed by the Israeli occupying forces, raising the total number of martyrs killed since September 2000 to 4,611 people. (The names of the martyrs that have been identified are listed in the annex to the present letter.)I should be grateful if you would arrange to have the text of the present letter and its annex distributed as a document of the tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly, under agenda item 5, and of the Security Council.